Closure for collapsible tubes



g- 7, 1956 R. w. WILSQN 2,757,828

CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Nov. 21, 1951 INVENTOR ROY W. WILSON 2,757,828 Patented Aug. 7, 19 56 2,757,828 CLOSURE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Roy Wicclitfe Wilson, Lexington, Ky. Application November 21,1951, Serial No. 257,507

2 Claims. 01. 222-436 The present invention relates .to a closure for the socalled collapsible tubes .employed for holding creamy .or relatively free flowing substances such as tooth paste, having cream or the like, and more particularly has reference to a closure member adapted to be detachably connected to the threaded outlet nozzle provided .on such collapsible tubes, and so constructed as to dispense the contents of the tube when pressure is applied to the collapsible body and automatically arrest the dispensing when the pressure on the tube body is relieved or .released.

it is, of course, well known that tubes containing substances of the type under consideration are not entirely satisfactory from the sanitary viewpoint, since foreign matter can readily enter the tube in situations where the tube outlet is closed by a threaded or similar closure cap. While numerous devices have heretofore been proposed for attachment to conventional tubes orforming' a part of the tube per se for automatically closing the tube outlet when pressure on the tube body is released, these prior devices are not wholly satisfactory. One Objectionable feature is that in many instances the closure is a part of the end structure of the tube itself which increases materially the cost of manufacturing .the tubeto .a prohibitive limit, thereby preventing widespread use of such units. In thecase of units which are adapted to be connected in a removable fashion to the outlet nipple of the tube, these units are relatively complex in structural detail and many of them require considerable manipulation of the movable parts to effect the dispensing step.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a closure for use with collapsible tubes to permit the easy and free flowing dispensing of the tube contents and at-the same time quickly and effectively shut off the flow of the contents when dispensing is not desired.

Viewing the invention broadly, it comprises a closure body adapted to be detachably connected to the threaded nipple of the tube, the body being provided with a strategically located discharge orifice, a valve member movably mounted within the body to open and close the discharge orifice, and spring means associated with the valve member normally urging the valve member to a position to close the discharge orifice, the arrangement being such that the application of pressure to the tube body overcomes the action of the spring means to move the valve body to a position opening the orifice to permit dispensing, the spring means serving to move the valve member to close the orifice when pressure on the tube body is relieved. In one form of the inventive concept, the discharge orifice is located in the side of the closure member and in another form the orifice is provided in the end wall of the body portion.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a closure member of the type described which includes but few essential working parts, positive and eflicient in operation, and which can be inexpensively and easily manufactured.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide va dispensing closure for use with tubes containing creamy substances which can be easily and readily attached to the end tube structure without modification of the tube and which can be removed from the tube after the contents have been depleted for subsequent connection to a fresh tube.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set .forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in .detail, reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawing's forming part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts .in the several views, and in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation, partly broken away, of one form of the closure embodying the details of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 22 of Figure l, the view looking in the direction of the arrows but being on a somewhat enlarged scale, the

valve member being shown in the closed or inoperative position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating the position of the valve in the dispensing position.

1 line 5 5 of Figure 3, theview looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a verticalsectional view of another form of-closure member, the valve being shown in the closed position. v

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view similarto Figure 6 with .the valve shown in-the dispensing position, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 8.--8.of Figure 6, the view looking in the direction of the arrows.

:Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a collapsible tube body of conventionaltype is denoted 10, and one end of the tube body-is provided with an-externally threaded nipple 11, to which closure member 12 is adapted to be secured. Theclosure member 12 can be made of any suit-' able material such as metal, transparent plastic or the like, and is preferably cylindrical, although, of course, other configurations may be employed. The bodyof the closure member 12 is formed'with a chamber 13 in proximity to the lower end thereof, the chamber 13 having threads 14 for engaging the threaded nipple 11. The chamber 13 communicates with a conduit or passage-way 15, the other end of which is in communication with a discharge orifice 16 in the end wall of the closure body. A valve or plunger member 17 is mounted for longitudinal movement respecting the closure body and the inner end of the valve member supports an annular flange 18. One end of a helical spring 19 is adapted to bear against the annular flange, while the opposite end engages a shoulder 20 defined by the upper wall of the chamber 13.

As clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, the valve member 17 is cut away in proximity to the outer end thereof to define an inclined face 21, a horizontal face 22, and a second inclined face 23. The faces 21, 22 and 23 provide, in effect, a notched member to facilitate the dispensing of the contents.

Normally, the valve member 17 will be in the position shown in Figure 2, with the inclined face 21 serving to close the discharge orifice 16. However, upon the application of pressure to the tube 10, the contents apply pressure to the annular flange 18 and thus move the valve member 17 upwardly, whereupon the contents will flow into the passage-way or conduit 15 into the notched area and out through the discharge orifice 16, and by virtue of the relationship of the inclined face 21 and the discharge orifice, the contents will leave the closure body at approximately right angles thereto. As soon as the desired amount has been dispensed, the release of pressure on the tube body and as a consequence on the flange 18, permits the spring 19 to urge the flange 17 downwardly and thus close the orifice 16 and prevent the entrance of any foreign matter.

It will further be observed that by virtue of the faces 21, 22 and 23, a path for the contents is provided as soon as the annular flange is moved sufficiently to enable the contents to enter the passage-way 15. This will insure that the contents will be quickly dispensed since it is unnecessary for the outer end of the valve member to move to its fully opened position (Figure 3) before the material leaves the orifice 16.

In Figure 6 there is disclosed a closure which is somewhat simpler in structural detail and from which the contents issue directly from the side of the closure member intermediate the upper and lower limits thereof. In this form, a closure member includes a cylindrical body 30 having a cavity 31 therein, the lower end of the cavity being internally threaded, as at 32, to engage external threads on a nipple 33 carried by the upper end of tube 34. Mounted within the cavity 31 for sliding movement is a cup-shaped valve member 35, the cup-shaped valve member normally being held in engagement with the upper end of the nipple by means of a spring 36, the upper end of which engages the end wall of the cavity 31 and the opposite end being in engagement with the cup-shaped valve member 35.

' The side wall of the body 30 is provided with an arcuate recess 37, and a port 38 extends between the recess and the cavity 31 to define a discharge orifice. Manifestly, the wall of the valve member 35 is of sufiieient height to close the discharge orifice 38 when the valve is in the closed position illustrated in Figure 6.

In operation, the application of pressure to the tube 34 likewise applies pressure to the base of the valve member 35, whereupon the valve member is moved upwardly against the action of the spring 36, and when the discharge port 38 is opened, a ribbon of material will issue therefrom. When the user releases the pressure on the tube, the spring, of course, will urge the valve member 35 downwardly and thus close the discharge orifice.

It will be appreciated from the above description that I have provided a closure for collapsible tubes which enables the contents thereof to be quickly dispensed upon the application of pressure to the tube and stop the dispensing step when such pressure is released. The closure is so constructed that it may be readily attached to conventional tubes without altering the details of such tubes, and by reason of the few working or moving parts, there is little, if any, likelihood of the closure requiring repair. The device may be inexpensively manufactured and when the tube contents have been completely dispensed, the closure may be removed therefrom and attached to an unused tube.

This invention is not to be confined to any strict eonformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A closure member for use with a collapsible tube having a discharge outlet comprising a body member adapted to be detachably connected to the outlet and having a bore therein, said body member being provided with a discharge orifice in an end wallthereof, a valve member disposed within the bore of the body member for longitudinal movement with respect to the body member and having a head adapted to open and close the discharge orifice, spring means cooperating with said valve member and body normally urging the head to a position to close the discharge orifice, and said body further being provided with a passage-way between the discharge outlet and the orifice, the passageway being offset lateral- ]y with respect to said discharge orifice and outlet, and a notched area in the body of the valve member adjacent the head of the valve member so that upon the application of pressure to the tube, the contents thereof will move the valve member against the action of the spring means to open the orifice and permit the contents to flow through the passage-way, notched area and out through the discharge orifice.

2. A closure member as defined in and claimed by claim 1, further characterized in that the notched area is of such dimensions as to communicate with the passageway when the valve member is in the position closing the discharge orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,163 Ballou Sept. 21. 1915 1,918,746 Gaglio July 18, 1933 2,017,686 De Valera Oct. 15, 1935 2,082,923 Voke June 18, 1937 2,158,375 Miller May 16, 1939 2,168,297 Voke Aug. 1, 1939 2,528,993 Beach Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 267,184 Italy Aug. 28, 1929 

